May Ark Project Info

The revelation to produce and store food may be as essential to our temporal welfare today as boarding the ark was to the people in the days of Noah."
~President Ezra Taft Benson~

Spiritual Goal:

• Pray for the opportunity to share a Book of Mormon or church video with a non-member.

Priesthood Provident Living Goal:

• Make a goal and a plan to exercise regularly. It’s important to stay fit because as Noah found out, when you’re 600 years old, someone might ask you to do something really important.

Storage Goal:

• 100 pounds variety of cereal grains - rice, oatmeal, cornmeal etc. per person
• 24 rolls toilet paper per person
• 2 rolls paper towels per person
• Garden Seeds
• 24 packages flavored gelatin per person
• At least one month prescription ahead for all doctor prescribed medication

72 Hour Kit:

• Battery Powered radio
• Battery Powered light
  
• Batteries

April Ark Project Info

"The revelation to store food may be as essential to our temporal salvation today as boarding the ark was to the people in the days of Noah."
~Ezra Taft Benson~

Spiritual Goal:

• Attend the temple one more session than you normally do this month.

Priesthood Provident Living Goal:

• If you normally do not grow a garden, plan to grow at least one vegetable this year.
  
• If you already have a garden either 1) grow a vegetable you haven't tried before OR 2) try a new method or technique this year.

Storage Goal:

• 2 pounds yeast and baking powder per person
• 1 pound soda per person
• 1 gallon vinegar per person
• 10 can evaporated milk per person
• 20 Pounds peanut butter per person
• Spices, condiments and vanilla

72 Hour Kit:

• Treats: 4 granola bars, 2 sticks beef

Great Recipes To Stock Your Freezer!

Thanks to Margaret S. for emailing a link to a couple of these.

These recipes are from Holly Clegg's Trim & Terrific Freezer Friendly Meals (Trim & Terrific):


French Bread Pizzas for the Freezer:

Author Notes:	This recipe is meant to make individual French Bread pizzas that you store in your freezer until you're ready to heat them up for dinner. The recipe is healthy and low in fat. These are so easy to make, a child could do it. A six-pack of rolls makes 12, so this is a convenient number to make at a single outing, but this recipe is very adaptable -- just multiply the ingredients below by the number of pizzas you want to make. If you like dinners like those made by Lean Cuisine®, Weight Watchers® or Jenny Craig®, you'll love this homemade alternative. You'll save money and time (cook once and make twelve dinners), not to mention you can avoid unnecessary sodium and preservatives. And unlike the commercial versions, you can season these meals to suit your taste. For general information about cooking and packaging foods for the freezer, as well as more delicious, low fat freezer recipes, click here.
Ingredients:	Per Pizza: 1/3 cup pizza sauce 6 slices low fat beef and turkey pepperoni 2 tablespoons grated mozzarella cheese 1 teaspoon grated Parmesan cheese one half long French roll
Instructions:	Cut each roll in half. Spread 1/3 cup sauce over the cut side of each roll, sprinkle with grated cheeses and top with pepperoni and other desired optional toppings. Wrap each pizza tightly in foil or other freezer wrap of choice and freeze. When you're ready to eat dinner, here's how to cook your pizzas: Conventional Oven: Preheat oven to 350°F and place unwrapped pizza on a baking sheet. Bake for about 20-25 minutes or until heated through and cheese is melted. Microwave Oven: I like this recipe best when cooked in a conventional oven, as it's difficult, if not impossible to get a crisp crust in the microwave (maybe you have better luck with browning trays then I). But if you must cook in the microwave, 2 1/2 to 3 minutes on high usually does the trick.

Fill Your Freezer Recipe -- Burritos:

Author Notes:	These burritos are awesome! You make a bunch in advance, keep them in your freezer, and anytime you want a quick meal or snack, cook for about 2-3 minutes in the microwave. Adults and kids love them. If you have a freezer and microwave at work, you’re set for lunch, although you may have to keep your coworkers from stealing them, once they see what you’re eating. The recipe below is written as a utility recipe, meaning you can use the specific ingredients you prefer and/or happen to have on hand. I often use this recipe to clean out the freezer and fridge of various meats and veggies, and I’ve been known to make as many as 60 burritos at a time! Why not? Once you gather together all your ingredients and supplies, it’s just as easy to make lots as it is to make a few. See the instructions below for further notes on ingredients, variations and substitutions. The amount of ingredients you will need will depend on how many burritos you want to make (this is a great way to use leftovers). Multiply the amount of ingredients below by the number of burritos you want to make.
Ingredients:	Mix and Match Per 8-inch Tortilla Burrito: generous 1/4 cup cooked rice or cooked Spanish rice 1/4 cup chopped cooked protein – cooked beef, chicken, pork, or tofu generous 1/8 cup grilled veggies generous 1/8 cup cooked beans (black and/or pinto beans work well) generous 1/8 cup grated cheese 1 tablespoon cooked salsa (see Related Recipes section below for recipes), optional 18-inch flour tortilla Mix and Match Per 10-inch Tortilla Burrito: 1/3 cup cooked rice or cooked Spanish rice 1/3 cup chopped cooked protein – cooked beef, chicken, pork, or tofu 1/3 cup grilled veggies 1/3 cup cooked beans (black and/or pinto beans work well) 1/3 cup grated cheese 1/8 cooked salsa (see Related Recipes section below for recipes), optional 1 10-inch flour tortilla
Instructions:	Gather your ingredients together. I sometimes take several days to prepare before actually making the burritos. Making beans (usually in my slow cooker) one day, salsas another day, grilling meat, tofu, and veggies another. When I have all the pieces, I make a big burrito assembly line. To make individual burritos for the freezer, center a tortilla on a piece of freezer paper, wax paper, or parchment paper. Leaving about an inch margin at the bottom, layer ingredients in a single line down the center of the tortilla as in the photo below. fold up the bottom of the tortilla, fold one side over, and roll up as tightly as possible. fold the paper over the burritos, tucking in both sides, the tightly rolling the burritos in the paper as in the photos below. Pack paper wrapped burritos in a zipper top plastic freezer bag. When ready to eat, remove burritos from the paper and put on a microwave safe plate. Unwrap and microwave on high for about 2 minutes. Carefully turn the burritos over – careful, it will be hot! Microwave another minute. Remove from oven and enjoy. Add additional salsa and/or hot sauce as desired. All microwaves are different, so you may need to adjust cooking times for your oven. Check often during cooking and make notes of just how long it takes your oven to perfectly cook the burritos. Freezer Friendly Burrito Making Tips Once you assemble together all the ingredients, it’s just as easy to make lots of these at once as it is to make just a few. I’ve been known to make as many as 60 at a time and pass out extras that I couldn’t fit in my freezer to appreciative friends and family members (everybody loves a quick meal or snack they can pull out of their freezer). Don't be afraid to mix and match the above ingredients in any combinations that suit you – if you eliminate one, add more of another. The only ingredient I don’t recommend cutting is the rice – unless you plan on eating the burritos right away instead of freezing. If you do plan on freezing, I find that rice will soak up any excess moisture, keeping the burritos from becoming too wet upon reheating. Otherwise, if you don’t like beans, leave them out. Don’t have any cooked meat on hand? Make a rice, bean, and cheese burrito, etc. Grilled veggies like onions, peppers, mushrooms, zucchini, etc. are always a tasty and healthy addition. Just about anytime I have a fire in the grill going, I grill up a bunch of veggies for this purpose. Just brush with oil and grill. The addition of grilled tofu is great for vegetarian burritos -- just brush with oil and lay firm tofu on the grill, just as you would meat. Label and date the bags that hold the burritos in your freezer. Try to use within 3 months. Trust me, that won't be a problem. Why cooked salsa? Because raw veggies that are frozen emit too much water which will make your burritos soggy.

Holly Clegg's Italian Pizza Rolls:

Servings:	20
Author Notes:	These tasty meat sensations quickly disappeared as I pulled them from the oven. My kids and the adults were both grabbing for seconds.
Ingredients:	1/3 cup finely chopped carrots 1/3 cup finely chopped onion 1/3 cup finely chopped green bell pepper 1 teaspoon minced garlic 1/2 pound ground sirloin 1/2 cup tomato sauce 1/2 teaspoon dried oregano 1/2 teaspoon dried basil leaves 1/2 cup shredded part skim mozzarella cheese 9 egg roll wrappers
Instructions:	Makes 18 to 20 Half Rolls In a non-stick skillet coated with nonstick cooking spray, sauté the carrots, onion, green pepper, and garlic for 5 to 7 minutes over medium heat until tender. Add the sirloin, cooking until browned. Remove from heat and stir in tomato sauce, oregano, basil, and mozzarella cheese. Place about 2 tablespoons in the middle of each egg roll wrapper. Fold the lower bottom third up, Fold the 2 sides toward the center, and then roll up. To Prepare and Eat Now: Preheat oven to 425°F. Place pizza rolls on a nonstick baking sheet coated with nonstick cooking spray. Bake for 9 minutes, turn the rolls over and continue baking for another 4 to 6 minutes or until crispy and browned. Cut each roll in half and serve. To Freeze: Do not Bake prepared rolls and freeze on baking sheet, then transfer to freezer zip top bags, label, and freeze. To Prepare After Freezing: Preheat oven to 425°F. Remove rolls directly from the freezer and place on a nonstick baking sheet coated with nonstick cooking spray. Bake for 10 to 12 minutes, turn the rolls over and continue baking for another 5 to 6 minutes or until crispy and browned. Cut each roll in half and serve. Diabetic Exchanges: 1 very lean meat, 0.5 starch.

March Ark Project Info

"The Lord has warned us of famines, but the righteous will have listened to the prophet and stored at least a years supply of survival food."
~Ezra Taft Benson~


Spiritual Goal:

• Have family prayer at least once a day. Twice is better.

Priesthood Provident Living Goal:

• Learn a new skill or read a book pertaining to your career. Remember that the ark was built by amateurs and the Titanic was built by professionals.

Storage Goal:

• 50 cans soup, stew or chili per person
• 5 pounds salt per person
• 20 pounds fat - oil or shortening per person
• Aluminum foil, plastic wrap, storage bags, etc.
• At least 5 gallons water per person - recommended is 14 gallons/person for 2 weeks.

72 Hour Kit:

• 1 pound dried fruit or trail mix per person (can use fruit leather)
• 1 package soda crackers per person (4 pkg./box)
• 1 package graham crackers per person (4 pkg./box)
• 2 liters tomato or orange juice per person
• Also make a goal to always have the fuel tanks on ALL your vehicles at least half full.

February Ark Project Info

"There is a wise old saying " Eat it up, wear it out, make it do, or do without". Thrift is a practice of not wasting anything. Some people are able to get by because of the absence o expense. They have their shoes resoled, they patch, they mend, they sew, and they save money. They avoid installment buying, and make purchases only after saving enough to pay cash, thus avoiding interest charges."
~James E. Faust~

Spiritual Goal:

• Schedule time each day to read with your family from the Book of Mormon.

Priesthood Provident Living Goal:

• Plan and carry out an FHE on home fires, include planning an escape route and practicing it.

Storage Goal:

• 100 pounds pasta or flour per person
• Hand grain mill
• Thread, needles, buttons and zippers

72 Hour Kit Goal:

• 1 gallon water per person
• Scriptures
• Personal documents - genealogical records, wills, insurance, contracts, Passports, birth

January Ark Project Info

"Let every head of household see to it that he has on hand enough food and clothing and, where possible, fuel also for at least a year ahead...."
~J. Rueben Clark~

Spiritual Goal:

• Hold Family Home Evening every Monday for the month.

Priesthood Provident Living Goal:

• Review your retirement goals. Are you putting enough aside to be able to support yourselves and to do the things you want to do when you retire? Also change batteries in smoke alarms.

Storage Goal:

• 24 cans of meat or fish per person
• 1 gallon bleach per person
• Can opener
• Garbage bags
• Laundry detergent

72 Hour Kit Goal:

• Gather change of clothing including underwear and shoes for each family member. Include warm coats and boots or have them immediately accessible.
• Ax, shovel, bucket and utility knife
• Infant needs
• $20 cash and $5 in change for phone

Sale at Winn Dixie

Thank you, Jennifer, for the heads up. If anyone knows when this sale ends, let me know and I will post that information as well.

"Winn Dixie has 10 cans of Bumble Bee, Albacore white tuna, for $10. I priced the same at Sam's…they were more expensive. The expiration on the tuna was 2011. Also the Hunts pudding packs, 10 for $10. The expiration on the Hunts was from Jan – Nov 2010."

Reading Codes On Canned Food

Thought this was useful.

The encoded dates on cans represent the date the can was filled and processed. They are NOT "use by" dates. But this can be useful knowledge if you aren't sure how old a particular can is.

As a rule of thumb, acidic canned foods like pineapple and tomatoes can be stored for 12 to 18 months. Low-acid foods, like meat, beans and most vegetables, can be stored much longer - 2 to 5 years. Do discard any can that is bulging or rusting, however, as the contents are almost sure to have gone bad.

From mealtime.org:

Reading Can Codes

Each canned food manufacturer has a unique coding system. Some manufacturers list day, month and year of production, while other companies reference only the year. These codes are usually imprinted on the top or bottom of the can. Other numbers may appear and reference the specific plant manufacturing or product information and are not useful to consumers. Below is a sampling of how some manufacturers code their products so consumers know when the product was packaged. If you have specific questions about a company's product, contact a customer service representative at the phone number listed.

Note: For month coding, if a number is used, numbers 1 through 9 represent January through September, and letters O for October, N for November and D for December. If letters are used, A=Jan. and L=Dec., unless otherwise noted.

Note: For year coding, 8=1998; 9=1999; 0=2000; 1=2001; 2=2002, etc.

Bush Brothers & Company (voice) 865-509-2361
Four digits
Position 1: Month
Position 2 and 3: Day
Position 4: Year
Example: 2061 (February 6, 2001)

Chiquita Processed Foods (voice) 800-872-1110
Ten digits (only 6-8 are pertinent to consumers)
Position 6: Year (A=1999, B=2000, C=2001, etc.)
Position 7 and 8: Julian Date
Example: A195 (July 14, 1999 - July 14 is the 195th day of the year)

Del Monte Foods (voice) 800-543-3090
First line, four digits
Position 1: Year
Position 2, 3 and 4: Julian Date
Example: 9045 (February 14, 1999)

Faribault Foods
Consumers can send inquiries and product coding numbers via an online contact form at the Faribault Foods Web Site, and a company representative will help them understand the coding.

Furman Foods (voice) 877-877-6032
Second line, first four digits
Position 1: Year
Position 2, 3 and 4: Julian Date
Example: 9045 (February 14, 1999)

Hirzel Canning (voice) 800-837-1631
First line, four digits
Position 1: Year
Position 2, 3 and 4: Julian Date
Example: 0195 (July 14, 2000- July 14th is the 195th day of the year)

Hormel Foods Corporation (voice) 800-523-4635
Five digits on the top line
Position 1-4: Information about plant and manufacturing
Position 5: Year
Example: XXXX0 (2000)

Lakeside Foods (voice) 920-684-3356
Second line, second through fifth digits
Position 2: Month (January=1, September=9, October=A, November=B, December=C)
Position 3 and 4: Date
Position 5: Year
Example: 4A198 (October 19, 1998)

Maple Leaf Consumer Foods (voice) 800-268-3708
Top of can, grouping of last four digits
Position 1: Year
Position 2,3, and 4: Julian Date
Example: 9130 (May 9, 1999)

Mid-Atlantic Foods (voice) 410-957-4100
Second through fourth digits
Position 2: Month (letter)
Position 3: Date (A=1, Z=26)
Position 4: Year
Example: MDE0 (April 5, 2000)

Pillsbury/Green Giant and Progresso
(voice) 800-998-9996
Five digits
Position 1: Month (letter)
Position 2: Year
Position 3: Plant information
Position 4 and 5: Date
Example: G8A08 (July 8, 1998)

Seneca Foods (voice) 315-926-6710
Two digits on the first line
Position 1: Month (letter)
Position 2: Year
Example: L1 (December 2001)

Stagg Chili (voice) 800-611-9778
Second through sixth digits
Position 2 and 3: Month
Position 4 and 5: Day
Position 6: Year
Example: S02050 (February 5, 2000)

Vietti Foods
First line, five digits
Position 1: Month (letter)
Position 2 and 3: Date
Position 4: Code for product type
Position 5: Year
Example: E02D2 (May 2, 2002)

CVS Black Friday Sale **Update**

I posted about the CVS sale below, but I wanted to update y'all on what you could actually get for your money. This is a great way to stock up on toiletries for your home storage. I grabbed the following from an online forum that I frequent. The girl who posted it is the same person that I got the CVS sale information from originally. She was showing what she was able to buy at the sale and how much she spent. The sale is still on through Saturday, Nov. 29 I think.

Quote:

Okay, so today I did some shopping at CVS. I LOVE THAT STORE!!!!!!!! My mom went with me and we got there at about 6:45 for it to open at 8. We wanted to be the first ones in the store, and we were. It was my mom's first time playing the CVS game and she bought $101.13 worth of stuff for $6.59 out-of-pocket and she has another $7.99 in Extra Care Bucks (ECBs) to spend in the store any time she wants. I bought $124.17 worth of stuff for $4.27 out-of pocket, and I have a total of $28.46 ECBs to use another time! So essentially CVS paid me $24.19 to buy $124.17 worth of stuff! How great is that!!!!!

Here are pictures of our shopping trip. The first one is what I bought, and the 2nd is what my mom bought. I bought the 2 Maybelline mineral power foundations earlier this week, which is why they aren't in my picture. Not bad for so little money, huh??

Banana Bread (In Jars)

Banana Bread in a Jar

7 (1 pint) wide-mouth pint jars
2 2/3 c. white sugar
2/3 c. vegetable shortening
4 eggs
2/3 c. buttermilk
2 c. mashed, ripe bananas
1 t. vanilla
3 1/2 c. white flour
1/2 t. nutmeg
1 t. cinnamon
2 t. baking soda
1 t. baking powder
1 t. salt
2/3 c. chopped nuts (optional)

In large bowl, cream sugar and shortening with electric mixer. Add eggs and mix well. Next, add buttermilk and vanilla and mix well. Place dry ingredients in a separate bowl and mix well. Add creamed ingredients to dry ingredients and mix well. Gently stir in mashed bananas and nuts.

Prepare jars with vegetable shortening. Place one cup of batter in each jar. Do not use more than one cup or batter will overflow and jar will not seal. Evenly space jars on a cookie sheet. Bake at 325˚ F for 45 minutes, or until a pick inserted in center comes out clean.

Working quickly, wipe rim, place lid and ring on jar and secure. Jars will seal quickly. Repeat with remaining jars. When ready to serve, bread will slide out.

Pumpkin Spice Cake (In Jars)

This is the recipe that I shared in Relief Society yesterday. I will be adding other jar recipes as I have time, so keep checking back. You can find the wide-mouth pint jars at Albertsons.

Pumpkin Spice Cake (In Jars)

8 (1 pint) wide-mouth canning jars
1 C. raisins
1 C. walnuts
2 C. flour
2 t. baking soda
1/4 t. baking powder
1/2 t. salt
2 t. ground cloves
2 t. cinnamon
1 t. ground ginger
4 eggs
2 C. sugar
1 C. vegetable oil
16 oz. can pumpkin

Wash jars, lids and rings in hot soapy water; rinse well. Allow the jars to air dry. Once the jars are dry, generously grease the inside of each jar.

Preheat oven to 325° F. Coarsely chop the raisins and walnuts; set aside. Sift together the dry ingredients in a large bowl. Add raisins and walnuts; toss to lightly combine. In a separate bowl, beat eggs at high speed until thick and lemon colored, about 3 minutes. Gradually beat in the sugar until thick and light. At low speed, beat in the oil and pumpkin; blend well. Gradually stir in the flour mixture until well blended.

Divide batter among jars, they should be slightly less than half full. Wipe any batter from the rim of the jars. Place jars on a baking sheet, and bake 35 to 40 minutes or until a pick inserted into the center of each jar comes out clean (bamboo skewers work great to test doneness).

While the cakes are baking, place the lids and rings in a pan of water and bring to a boil. Remove from heat and leave them in the water until the cakes are done. Remove the cakes from the oven one at a time, place the lids and rings on them and tighten. Allow the jars to cool. Check to be sure they have sealed. There should be no movement on the lid. If any have not sealed properly, eat them within a week.

When I made these, I used pecans instead of walnuts and golden raisins instead of purple raisins. I also added miniature chocolate chips. Next time I make them I'm going to substitute apple sauce for some of the oil.

CVS Black Friday Sale

Sale dates Thurs. 11/27, Fri. 11/28, & Sat. 11/29
Stores open @ 8am except 24hr stores

If you've been wanting to stock up on toiletries, then Thanksgiving day will be the day to do it!

At CVS they are having an amazing deal (Black Friday Sales). You may want to get up bright and early and be the first person in the door on Thanksgiving because items may not last until Friday. IF for some reason they are out of the items when you get there, you can get a rain-check. The rain-check will give you the price AFTER they subtract the Extra Care Bucks, so for many of the products, they will be FREE. The rain-checks do not expire, so you can hang onto them until you find them in stock. You do HAVE to get your own Extra Care Card from CVS to get these deals and keep them going. It's free to get one.

Here is an example of how you can shop that day (you might not have these coupons, but it's still a good deal if you don't): Oh, and ECB are Extra Care Bucks - they print at the end of your receipt and have a barcode that must be scanned along with your card. OOP means Out-Of-Pocket expense, meaning what you'll have to pay. (This was posted in a forum by someone that already had some ECBs to use).

First Transaction:

Playtex Gentle Glide Tampons $3.99 + $3.00 ECB
minus $1.00 coupon = $2.99 + $3.00 ECB

Aussie Conditioner $2.99 + $2.99 ECB
minus $1.00 coupon = $1.99 + $2.99 ECB

Total OOP: $5.00 + $3.00 ECB & $2.99 ECB (I'm doing this one first because I have $5.00 in ECB to blow, so for me it will be free).


Next Transaction:

Colgate Total Toothpaste - $2.99 + $2.99 ECB
minus $2.99 ECB (from Aussie purchase) = FREE + $2.99 ECB

Do this 1 more time (limit 2) - separate transaction (use ECB from toothpaste purchase)


Next Transaction:

Garnier Nutritioniste Cleansing Towelettes (25 ct) - $5.99 + $5.99 ECB
minus $1.00 coupon
minus $3.00 ECB (from playtex purchase)

Total OOP: $1.99 + $5.99 ECB


Next Transaction:

Bic Soleil Razor - $5.99 + 5.99 ECB
minus $5.99 ECB (from garnier purchase)= FREE + $5.99 ECB

Do this 1 more time (limit 2) - separate transaction (use ECB from razor purchase)


Next Transaction:

Johnson's Soft Lotion - $5.69 + $5.69 ECB

1 Reeses King Size Bar $1.00 + $1.00 ECB

minus $5.99 ECB (from 2nd razor purchase)

Total OOP: $.70 + $5.69 ECB, $1.00 ECB


Next Transaction:

CG Smoothers Pressed Powder - $5.99 + 5.99 ECB

minus $5.69 ECB (from lotion purchase)

Total OOP: $.31 + $5.99 ECB


This will then leave you with ECBs for $2.99 (second toothpaste), $1.00 (hershey's candybar), and $5.99 (CG Smoothers powder) - that you can use towards any purchases in the store.